Hi, I’m 25 years old, and started having hair loss at 15. It started and has continued to thin around my hairline only on one side, to the point that one side is receded and extremely thin. About a year and a half ago, my overall scalp started thinning as well. It’s been about a year since I’ve dyed my hair and I rarely ever put hairspray or any other chemical in my hair. I try to just wash it and let it air dry in fear that anything I do will make more hair fall out. I haven’t been to a doctor at all so far because I’ve never had health insurance. I’m about to have insurance next month and will be looking for a doctor to go to ASAP. I’ve been trying to look online and see what information I can find about what’s happening with me, but I dont’ see anything about a similar case to mine. I used to have long, thick hair and could do anything with it, and now it’s short and thin, and I can never style it at all, and my receding hairline on my right side has me so self conscious. I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, does anyone have any suggestions to my situation or a reputable doctor in this area?

But you must start these medical therapies before you lose all your hair. McAndrews likens it to brushing your teeth, in that both are preventative measures. “The sooner you start doing it, the better at slowing down this aging process,” he explains, adding, “Is toothpaste perfect? No, you’re still getting tooth decay with toothpaste, but you’re slowing down tooth decay.”
I am 18 years old and about a month ago i noticed my hair falling out increasingly fast. It has scared me to death. I’ve gone to see my general practitioner and he said that hair goes through shedding stages and that it is normal. It is definitely not normal for me. I insisted that he check my thyroid and my results came back normal. My family just repeatedly tells me that I’m crazy and have no reason to worry. I have just purchased an apartment with my friends and will start college in the fall. I am terrified to begin my new life with a hair loss problem. My hair has always been my best feature. It has always been thick, healthy, beautifully wavy, and I have always received compliments on it. I am emotionally devastated to watch my hair fall out in large amounts just from taking a shower or brushing my hair. It is nice to know that I’m not crazy, or alone. Thank You All!
^ Lenane P, Pope E, Krafchik B (February 2005). "Congenital alopecia areata". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Case Reports. Review). 52 (2 Suppl 1): 8–11. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2004.06.024. PMID 15692503. We believe AA should be classified not only as an acquired but also a congenital form of nonscarring hair loss. It may well be more common than is thought because of lack of recognition
"Firstly, even the very good ones won’t get to the root of the issue - pardon the pun - and prevent or treat male or female pattern baldness which is caused by genetics, nor deal with hormonal issues at the heart of female hair loss. But they can help make the hair you do have stronger and healthier. And they can be useful in putting a hair loss regime in place, along with medication like Minoxidil or Finasteride and/ or a hair transplant.
Once male-pattern baldness starts, it’s not going to stop until every last hair on your head has shrunk or shed, though the rate at which this happens differs from person to person and depends on genetics. And since the grind of hair loss is unending, it’s important to start treatment as soon as your hairline starts bothering you. If you’re looking for a more quantitative metric, Dr. Paul McAndrews, clinical professor of dermatology at the USC School of Medicine and member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, assures me that “you have to lose half your hair before the human eye can tell.” (Of course, if you don’t care about losing your hair and are fine with going full Prince William and shaving your head, go for it. We’ve got some recommendations for razors and hair trimmers to help you out on that front.) Honestly, for female pattern baldness (what I have) I don’t think there really is any effective treatment — the only hope is learning to cope psychologically. (Just my humble opinion) So I don’t totally “hate” him for not being able to help me medically regarding the hair — but he was such a let down. I really expected more. (he’s an excellent dermatologist, for skin things at least)

Typical first symptoms of alopecia areata are small bald patches. The underlying skin is unscarred and looks superficially normal. Although these patches can take many shapes, they are usually round or oval.[6] Alopecia areata most often affects the scalp and beard, but may occur on any part of the body with hair.[7] Different areas of the skin may exhibit hair loss and regrowth at the same time. The disease may also go into remission for a time, or may be permanent. It is common in children.

And though this treatment appears to be safe and somewhat effective, it’s hard to tell who will react well to this low-level light therapy, which is why the doctors I spoke with were hesitant to fully endorse it. “We’re not sure what the optimal power is, what the optimal wavelength is, we don’t even really know the mechanism of action of how this is working,” says Rieder. Plus, it doesn’t work on everyone. “There are subpopulations of patients who do respond to low-level laser light, but this is not easily predictable,” explains McMichael, though she adds that the risk of using the LaserComb is low.
Today, one of the most common problems that could degrade one's beauty is hair loss. Most individuals usually shed 50 to 100 hairs every day. This loss, usually does not cause noticeable thinning of scalp hair, as new hair simultaneously grows along. Hair loss occurs when this cycle of growth of hair and shedding of hair is disrupted or when the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. There are a lot of causes of hair loss. Usually hair loss could be heredity or because of family history, can be due to hormonal changes, because of certain medications and also because of some medical conditions or diseases. Several conditions or diseases leads to hair loss. If you are one of those who suffer from loss of hair then you would probably love to read this article which explains about the diseases that cause hair loss. There are numerous diseases that can affect the hair and scalp. Hair loss can be caused by a variety of conditions. Diseases such as alopecia areata, anemia, male/female pattern baldness, and infections of the scalp can all cause significant difficulty and loss of daily well-being. Stanford Dermatology has established a special clinic focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders of the hair. This blog is great in all the support and understanding it provides, but I had a pretty hard time finding any suggestions for treatments that have actually helped anyone. I’m 22 and my hair has been rapidly shedding over the past 5 months. It’s also gotten thin and brittle. After 2 blood screenings, a dermatologist visit, and a visit to my general practitioner, nothing has improved. The doctor’s told me to wait it out, and that sometimes this “just happens”. They tested my hairs and saw that most of them were in the “resting” telogen phase, and decided I had Telogen Effluvium (TE) for undetermined causes.
There is no cure for the condition.[2] Efforts may be used to try to speed hair regrowth such as cortisone injections.[1][2] Sunscreen, head coverings to protect from cold and sun, and glasses if the eyelashes are missing is recommended.[2] In some cases the hair regrows and the condition does not reoccur.[2] In others hair loss and regrowth occurs over years.[2] Among those in whom all body hair is lost less than 10% recover.[5] Hair transplantation involves harvesting follicles from the back of the head that are DHT resistant and transplanting them to bald areas. A surgeon will remove minuscule plugs of skin that contain a few hairs and implant the plugs where the follicles are inactive. Around 15 percent of hairs emerge from the follicle as a single hair, and 15 percent grow in groups of four or five hairs. Some of the skin disorders like lupus and sarcoidosis can cause hair loss. In case of lupus, the hair tends to get brittle and may fall out in patches. Lupus hairs or short, broken hairs usually appear above the forehead. Hair loss is not permanent in general here. Some individuals with lupus also develop a form of lupus known as discoid or cutaneous lupus that affects the skin. Scars that sometimes develop on the skin of the scalp may lead to hair loss.
THE TREATMENTS If no trigger is present, it’s likely you have androgenetic alopecia, a hereditary condition that causes the hair follicles to get progressively thinner over the years. The most effective topical medication for the condition is minoxidil (brand name Rogaine), the only treatment for hair loss in women that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. As much as 30 percent of women will experience some sort of hair thinning, usually first noticed with age as a skinnier ponytail or a little more visible scalp peeking out. Thick hair screams “youth,” which makes thinning a tough pill to swallow. But there are many ways you can help slow down thinning and hair loss, from eating the right foods to cutting back on stress, even strategically styling your locks. Here, seven ways to stave off hair loss and keep your ‘do looking young and healthy for longer.
The scalp pain has not gone away. I have tried 100 things prescribed by 100 doctors. Dermatologists have told me to add zinc supplements to my diet, use a cream with “clobetasol propionate” on my scalp, improve the quality of my scalp by getting rid of any flakiness – hundreds of options. Trichodynia – pain of the scalp – is a poorly understood subject. I don’t know if it is hormonally related, and exacerbated by the stress (of losing so much hair) – I cannot answer you. Several types of hair shaft abnormalities can lead to hair loss. These conditions cause strands of hair to thin and weaken, making them vulnerable to breaking. The hair loss doesn’t occur in the follicle but as a result of a break somewhere along the hair shaft, which is the visible part of a hair strand. This can result in overall thinning, as well as in many small, brittle hairs. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, where a person's immune system attacks the body, in this case, the hair follicles. When this happens, the person's hair begins to fall out, often in clumps the size and shape of a quarter. The extent of the hair loss varies; in some cases, it is only in a few spots. In others, the hair loss can be greater. On rare occasions, the person loses all of the hair on his or her head (alopecia areata totalis) or entire body (alopecia areata universalis).

Finally people who understands what I am going through …I am in a desperate search for doctors in the Miami/Boca Raton, Florida area. Can anyone help? I dont know yet what has been causing my hair loss…I had been loosing some hair throighout the years, and sometimes it gets lees severe but lately has just gotten worse and there is no stopping it seems. I had mt Tyroid checked by PCP a coulpe months ago and my iron level also looked normal …getting desperate. Would appreciate some help.

There’s also a women’s version (Women’s Rogaine Foam) — but a three-month supply costs $22 more online. The only difference between the two products are the instructions; women are instructed to apply once a day instead of twice. If you’re a woman who doesn’t feel like paying extra for marketing, the men’s product will suffice. A cheaper generic version is Kirkland Signature Minoxidil Foam, but with a longer history on the market and more customer testimonials, Rogaine is our first choice. And though this treatment appears to be safe and somewhat effective, it’s hard to tell who will react well to this low-level light therapy, which is why the doctors I spoke with were hesitant to fully endorse it. “We’re not sure what the optimal power is, what the optimal wavelength is, we don’t even really know the mechanism of action of how this is working,” says Rieder. Plus, it doesn’t work on everyone. “There are subpopulations of patients who do respond to low-level laser light, but this is not easily predictable,” explains McMichael, though she adds that the risk of using the LaserComb is low. I am on Arava and my hair has become extremely coarse, frizzy, and tight tight curls in the back. The sides of my hair are pure frizz and the top is straight, with frizz. It used to be smooth and so easy to manage. Now it takes so long and it looks awful. Anyone find the same thing and anything that helps? I have tried so very many hair products, so has my beautician. She says it is like I have 3 completely different textures on my head. One of the first research studies linking alopecia with celiac disease was published in 1995. Italian doctors had noticed that several of their patients with alopecia also had celiac disease and that in one of these patients—a 14-year-old boy—the missing hair on his scalp and body completely regrew after he adopted a gluten-free diet. This boy's case and a few others prompted the doctors to screen a large group of alopecia patients for celiac disease.

One of the most significant concerns for patients following a diagnosis of cancer is the side effect of losing their hair. For many, especially for those who have experienced a full, thick head of hair throughout their lifetime, the thought of losing it can be devastating. Chemotherapy treatment owes its effectiveness to a variety of powerful medications which are designed to quickly attack the compromised, cancerous cells. Unfortunately, in addition to treating cancer, the medications also attack the roots of your hair. This can cause the hair to fall out very quickly, even in large clumps, or gradually over time. Some of the most common medications leading to hair loss include:

although I have plenty of hair round the sides I was rather thin on top, and quite bald on the crown. So I started using onion juice to kick start the folicles. Then after, started to use juiced ginger. After a minute or so of either application I rubbed in coconut oil, and left the mixture on for an hour or so. Problem with wishing to see the hair growth as soon as possible, hair is slow growing and new hair is even slower, so one will have to wait 3 months for a good result. So, once or twice a week use onion and the same with the ginger. I found white onions are best, grate on the smallest hole ( not much needed)…..bonus, white hair turns black.

Alopecia refers to hair loss from any part of the body for any reason. There are several types, ranging from thinning hair to complete baldness. Alopecia is broadly classified into 2 categories. In non-scarring alopecia, the hair follicles are still alive and hair can be grown. In scarring alopecia, the hair follicles are destroyed and will not regrow hair.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), or male-pattern baldness, is hair thinning in an “M”-shaped pattern; hair loss occurs on the temples and crown of the head with sparing of the sides and back5 (Figure 2). This pattern reflects the distribution of androgen-sensitive follicles in most people.6 Starting at puberty, androgens shorten the anagen phase and promote follicular miniaturization, leading to vellus-like hair formation and gradual hair thinning.6
My hopes and prayers are for all of us… that somewhere a doctor, an organic chemist, SOMEONE… ANYONE… will care enough to actually research this. Thank you, all of you, for your tears, suggestions and sharing. I WILL NOT WEAR A WIG… WHAT LIES BEHIND US, WHAT LIES AHEAD OF US, PALES IN COMPARISON TO WHAT IS INSIDE OF US. WE ARE STRONG, VIBRANT… WE WILL PREVAIL. Finasteride inhibits an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that causes hair loss in men, and unlike minoxidil, this drug can actually help hair grow back, as well as prevent further loss. All you have to do is take one pill a day, and according to Dr. Evan Rieder, dermatologist in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone Health, two-thirds of men taking this treatment will see improvements in hair density over time.

I am 30 and am trying Rogaine and spironolactone but only stopped the loss and I want to try Propecia. I know about the side effects for a male fetus, but I have chosen myself that I do not ever want to create a child out of my body. I will adopt or foster, but have intense lockeophobia. I even agreed to sign a legal document saying such, but my doctor would still not prescribe me propecia unless I had had a hysterectomy. He said it was for safety reasons, but as far as I understand it the only safety issue would be to such a fetus that will not exist. So I am confused about his reservations.

During this procedure, surgeons remove a narrow strip of scalp and divide it into hundreds of tiny grafts, each containing just a few hairs. Each graft is planted in a slit in the scalp created by a blade or needle in the area of missing hair. Hair grows naturally this way, in small clusters of one to four follicles, called follicular units. As a result, the graft looks better than the larger "plugs" associated with hair transplants of yesteryear.

I have struggled with my hair for a long time now. I am quickly approaching my 40s and I have bad hair quality. Recently, I have also noticed that my hair has stopped growing as it used to. A few years ago I went to the salon on a monthly basis. Now, it takes me almost two months before I even need to cut my hair! I am desperate and I really need help right now. Hair is one of the most important parts of a woman and I don’t want to give up on this one. I went to the doctors but they didn’t found anything wrong with me. The exams I took showed that I am healthy and there’s no reason for this to even happen to me. Please, I really need hair advice urgently!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Williams is an author, researcher, internationally renown hair surgeon, and lecturer in hair loss surgery and disorders. He is Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. He primary practices as a hair restoration surgeon and physician offering medical and surgical treatment for hair loss disorders for men and women. He has been practicing medicine, surgery, and cosmetic surgical care in Orange County since 1986 and a native and lifelong resident of Orange County. He completed his undergraduate premedical studies in 1980 at the University of California, Irvine; and a graduated from medical school in 1984 from the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Interesting reading all the stories, I had great hair until 15 years ago,and then the texture of my hair drastically changed. It be became “dead hair” wirery. I call it it my chicken feathers just taking its time to fall out which it has done over a long period of time, but I now have bald spots on the sides and thinning in my bangs. I started buying wigs years ago knowing that this was something that was inevitable. I’ve had all the tests and tried all the products, nothing..just curious if anyone else has had the “dead hair” issue
Just happened to find this website and have spent 3 hrs getting to know the trials us women go through with or without our hair. I have cried with you, laughed with you and felt your pain. I have frontal fibrosing alopecia and have gone to Stanford Medical Center and saw a dermatologist. I have been using clobetasol 0.05% topical solution on my hair line and sides every night and morning as well as take finasteride 2.5mg daily. Not sure if it is doing anything and what falls out will never grow back with scaring alopecia. If it gets to the point where I can’t hide it anymore I will get a real hair wig. The main thing is how beautiful each and every one of you are! The light you shine towards others makes you beautiful and makes us feel beautiful! Being thankful for what we do have always lifts the spirit and our outward appearance. How many of us are out there… feeling alone and pretending to not be ashamed. As a child, I had so much hair that my mother used a thinning shears on my locks. In high school I had a glorious mane, cut into a ‘Gypsy’… what great pictures. By my mid-20’s I had to cut my hair short because it was so thin that it wouldn’t hold a style. Was diagnosed with PCOS and told that this syndrome, combined with heredity, caused my hair loss. My hair was healthy. No split ends and thick and tame – I could not break it. The healthy condition of my hair may be the reason that I didn’t loose all of it. My hair loss was due to a “HAIR DESTROYER” causing chemical damage, burning my scalp and my hair ( I think she used a product banned in Australia). I had bald spots on my crown the size of 50 cent pieces and the rest of my hair was singed. I lost my hair gloss, I was left with hair that was as thin a rice paper and breaking everywhere. I had severe itching on my scalp for two years. Not pleasant. I cursed her every day and still do. I bought myself a pair of hairdressing scissors and cut as much hair off as I could; and chipped into it everywhere. I do this every two weeks. Hence I will never go to a hair dresser again and have not colored my hair since December 2012 – I asked for Brown on Brown 10 vol – how could an idiot of a hair destroyer (dresser) get it so wrong.
Hair loss caused by folliculitis decalvans, an inflammatory disorder that leads to the destruction of hair follicles, is often accompanied by redness, swelling, and lesions on the scalp that may be itchy or contain pus, known as pustules. This type of hair loss is not reversible, but dermatologists can offer medication to control symptoms and, in some instances, stop the progression of hair loss.
Also, re: the Proscar, I think that it may already be helping some as I think my shedding may be tapering off a bit more. I am losing a few less hairs Per day now. Maybe? I don’t know, but I am trying to stay positive!! I have no real regrowth. Just wisps, extremely fine hair, almost hard to see. Kind of transparent. I am not expecting miracles, but trust me…. THe moment I feel I have any true results to share with you girls, I will definitely be posting them! There aren’t many success stories out here. We need more. I guess people don’t come out here as much if they are experiencing good things w their hair? You are what you eat – and that’s true for your hair as well. A diet containing mostly whole foods, especially the skin of plants such as cucumbers, potatoes, peppers, and even bean sprouts are rich in the mineral silica and contribute to hair strength. Foods like lean meats are high in iron and are essential to the protein-based, building blocks of hair growth.

Hi everyone. I too am suffering with hair loss. I first noticed it 2 years ago, but really took notice this past summer. I am in my early 30s and single which has made things worse. it is hard to date and meet someone when you yourself are not very confident. I do have hope. Aside from strong prayer, I have gotten hope from Dr. Geoffrey Redmond. I am also a physician, so after reading his book which I thought was logical and truthful, I decided to go see him. I have spent countless hours online researching into what would be right for me. Here is some of my insights.

Graccey, you are spot on with the PPD allergy. It is amazing how difficult it is to connect the dots. It took me a year to figure it out. It caused 2 very aggressive cases of TE, my hair is not coming back on it’s own. I have been using Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo (I put one baby aspirin in it to balance the PH level because it is very alkalinity and the baby aspirin is an acid that brings it down, a lot of research to figure that one out too, but I just put the baby aspirin in an ounce of filtered water to dissolve and pour it in the baby shampoo) but anyway it was the only thing I wasn’t sensitive to and yes you are right it is something that continues to progress and makes you sensitive to all chemicals. I went a year without coloring my hair to allow it to rest. And now I will only foil it leaving 1/2″ of roots showing. This has devastated me beyond. I have just started using rogaine and the hairmax comb (for scalp health) I don’t think the comb helps with hair regrowth but it does seems to help with scalp health. It is a miracle I can use rogaine but it does seem to be helping. I use the women’s 2% every other night. Good luck with your regrowth. You are right on with the PPD and I think it is much more common than people think!
Alopecia areata is thought to be a systemic autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own anagen hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth.[9] For example, T cell lymphocytes cluster around affected follicles, causing inflammation and subsequent hair loss. It has been suggested that hair follicle in a normal state are kept secure from the immune system, a phenomenon called immune privilege. A breech in this immune privilege state is considered as the cause of alopecia areata.[12] A few cases of babies being born with congenital alopecia areata have been reported.[13] Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, where a person's immune system attacks the body, in this case, the hair follicles. When this happens, the person's hair begins to fall out, often in clumps the size and shape of a quarter. The extent of the hair loss varies; in some cases, it is only in a few spots. In others, the hair loss can be greater. On rare occasions, the person loses all of the hair on his or her head (alopecia areata totalis) or entire body (alopecia areata universalis). I’m 42 and I noticed my front top and sides thinning about a year ago – a lot coming out when brushing after washing. I went to the doctor who happened to be African-American (I’m caucasion) and she actually asked me if I wore “corn rows” a lot! Needless to say, she was worthless and just prescribed me something for dandruff, which I do not have! I went to an endocrinologist to see if my thyroid or menopause was the problem – tests turned out honky dorie! Now I can see through the top of my head when the sun shines on it (scar-y) and I’m having to cover over the temple areas with sweeps of hair from the other side (interesting, the right side is much thinner). I will say that I’ve gone through hell and back with a mentally ill young adult but if it was stress, wouldn’t it have come out quicker than just in the last year (I’ve been dealing with his illness for 7 years now)?? I’ve heard that sometimes it takes 2 or 3 blood tests and doctors to finally see that one has thyroid problems. Is this the experience of others, and would I be throwing my money away by seeing my general practitioner?
When men have hereditary hair loss, they often get a receding hairline. Many men see bald patches, especially on the top of the head. Women, on the other hand, tend to keep their hairline. They see noticeably thinning hair. The first sign of hair loss for many women is a widening part. In rare cases, men see noticeably thinning hair. And in rare cases, women can see a receding hairline or bald patches. The reasons for this are unknown.
I had embolization and an angiogram for an AVM on my jaw. I was told there would be some hair loss because of the radiation (The size of a quarter). Well I have lost all but 1/3 of my hair left …not the area of a quarter! Has anyone ever had this happen? My doctor says the hair should grow back, but it has been three months and it is still coming out and no new growth. I don’t know what to do! Any suggestion? As with many women my hair was a part of my identity. I am not bragging but people remember me as the girl with all the hair. I realize we are more than our hair, but it makes me so sad!

Hi, I cannot afford to go to see Dr. Redmond even though I live in NY (he’s just too pricy, I have no insurance, etc…) but I’m going to see the ob/gyn towards then end of the month to get help because I’m convinced I have PCOS (literally all the symptoms) and I was wondering, what birth control is best for hair? I’ve read Dr. Redmond’s site before and I could have sworn that Yaz or Yasmin kept popping up in the faqs section or somewhere on that site as good bcp for hair loss. I realize some people experienced hair loss after going off those pills, but if you have hair loss prior to bcp, I could have sworn Dr. Redmond listed those as good at helping hair loss and I thought some women claimed (elsewhere, not on his site) that they’ve regrown some hair after going on Yasmin. Sorry if I’m rambling, but does anyone know? Thanks. If I have PCOS, which I’m sure I do, I’m pushing for Spironolactone because I’ve read of a bunch of women who’ve had great success at regrowing hair with it, and one story on this site about a woman named “Jen” had great results. I think it took her 2 years, and she allegedly grew back 90-95% of her hair (also taking Metformin, dieting and exercising, and using Nizoral shampoo) so I’m trying to remain optimistic. It’s not just being 27 & single that makes me horrified at losing hair, though it doesn’t help, I’d still be freaking out if I was 57. If I could regrow even 30% to 50% I’d be elated. Because ultimately, I’m holding out hope for stem cells to be all of our “saviors.” Lol. There are 3 companies working on adult stem cell therapies for hair loss (from what I’ve seen here and elsewhere, they are Histogen, Follica, and Aderans) not to mention a Cairo Dermatologist who has successfully helped children with alopecia areata/totalis regrow significant amounts of hair, though only in one study and the results are only preliminary. Who knows. But still, fingers crossed that I can get these stupid hormones under control and stop my daily horror at washing my hair and seeing my once beautiful hair fall away. I always took my hair for granted and often complained about it, but I’d give anything for my thick long hair back. I had fine hair always, but tons of it and I always wore it long. Now I wear it pulled back in a bun to hide as best I can all that scalp showing through. Thanks for this site, it’s keeping me from going off the deep end.